CAIC is committed to helping you grow your small business by providing tools to support your entrepreneurial journey!
NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
The Calumet Area Industrial Commission (CAIC) is proud to serve as a partner with the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) as a local host site for the Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDCs) in the Pullman, Roseland and South Chicago areas.
The NBDC program provides comprehensive support to both aspiring entrepreneurs and established business owners. Services include guidance on general business licensing and public way use permitting, along with specialized assistance tailored to each program type, such as Place-Based Business Specialists and City-Wide Capital Specialists. Business owners receive confidential one-on-one advising, technical assistance, professional development workshops, access to capital resources, business-to-business networking opportunities, employment and workforce development support, consumer marketing assistance, and connections to the local community.
Dedicated to supporting businesses at every stage of development, the NBDCs assist start-up entrepreneurs in launching new ventures and help existing businesses navigate challenges, troubleshoot City-related issues, access financial resources, and grow sustainably within their neighborhoods.
For more information about the program and available services, please contact Melissa Campos, Program Manager at CAIC, at mcampos@calumetareaindustrial.com
Cultural Specialist
We provide tailored support to meet the needs of business owners and entrepreneurs who often face cultural and language barriers to accessing mainstream business services and support. We also offer culturally specific mentorship and assistance, as well as serve as a conduit, and a hub, for resources and opportunities by utilizing the cultural network of the organization. Finally, our NBDC standard business development assistance is in the language of the specific community being served.
Business Center
The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection’s (BACP) Neighborhood Business Development Centers (NBDCs) play a critical role in fostering equitable small-business environments, in the communities they serve across the City of Chicago. The NBDC Program consists of 65 local business service organizations that provide no-cost hyper-local business development assistance to entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the city. On behalf of the City, NBDCs provide general business licensing and public way use permitting guidance as well as specialized support services based on their program type (i.e., Place-Based Business Specialist, and City-Wide Capital Specialist), which includes confidential 1-on-1 business advising, technical assistance, professional development workshops, access to capital, B2B networking, employment and workforce development assistance and more.